Postgraduate and Masters Study in the UK

Masters Courses in the UK

A postgraduate or masters course in the UK follows the successful completion of an undergraduate degree, generally lasting for just one year compared to two-year Masters programmes found elsewhere in the world. This means students can save time, money and begin their career much quicker with a highly regarded UK postgraduate degree.

Why study a Masters degree in the UK?

The UK is home to some of the leading universities in the world, renowned for their quality of teaching and research. A UK postgraduate degree is held in high esteem by employers, and for international students studying in the UK it is a fantastic opportunity to improve your English and immerse yourself in a multicultural and exciting community of academics and students. You will:

Improve your career prospects

Gain an internationally recognised qualification

Earn more over the course of your career because of the weight a UK Masters carries

Be able to shape study around your schedule

A study carried out in 2013/14 by the Higher Education Statistics Agency showed that 86 per cent of students who completed a Postgraduate Masters in the UK were in full-time employment following graduation, compared to just 75 per cent of undergraduate leavers.

Types of Masters degree

Taught Masters

There are four main types of taught programme, Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc), Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Engineering (MEng), with each lasting 1-2 years full-time.

On a taught programme, students are expected to attend weekly seminars, tutorials and lectures, much like an undergraduate degree, and assessment can be via exam, dissertation or project.

Research Masters

A Research degree will see students take more responsibility for their work and schedule, basing their study around a thesis while being supervised by an academic. The most popular research degree is a PhD, which can take 3-4 years to complete, and consists of writing a thesis between 60,000 – 100,000 words which is then presented in an oral examination.

Other types of Research degree include the Master of Science (MSc), Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Master of Research (MRes). These degrees are similar to a PhD, but not as academically demanding with papers being much shorter.

How much does a Masters cost?

The average cost of a postgraduate and Masters degree in the UK for an international student is £12,400. Tuition fees at postgraduate level vary on the type of Masters you wish to study, which part of the UK you wish to live, and what university you attend.

Postgraduate schools in the UK are far less expensive than graduate schools in the USA, and studying in the UK can be 30 to 60 per cent cheaper than American equivalents.